Last week, Fairbanks in Alaska was the venue not only for the Arctic Council, developing the cooperation between Arctic States. Also the Arctic Economic Council (AEC), a forum for Arctic business cooperation, held its annual meeting, marking the beginning of a two-year Chairmanship of Finnish businesses and industry 2017-2019. Gaia supports and facilitates the AEC activities in Finland.
The Arctic Economic Council (Arctic Economic Council, AEC) is a forum for sustainable business cooperation in the Arctic regions. At the annual meeting on 9 May in Fairbanks, Alaska, the council elected Mr. Tero Vauraste, CEO of Arctia Ltd as Chair for a two-year term 2017-2019.
In addition to Mr. Vauraste, Finnish business and industry is represented in the AEC by Mr. Rauno Posio, Leader of the Visit Arctic Europe project at the Finnish Lapland Tourist Board, and Mr. Ingmar Haga, Vice President, Europe, at Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd. Finnish businesses are represented also in the Working Groups of the AEC, which have so far been established on the themes of Arctic Stewardship, Responsible Resource Development, Maritime Transportations and Telecommunications.
Gaia has long experience of helping numerous companies with sustainable Arctic business development. Now Gaia coordinates the national support group of Finnish business representatives to the Arctic Economic Council. The support group consists of Team Arctic Finland and other businesses active in the Arctic, industry organizations, Finpro, and Ministry representatives.
The Chairmanship of Finnish Businesses and industry aims at enhancing the five overarching themes of the Arctic Economic Council under the headline Interconnected, Competent and Safe Arctic.
”The Arctic Economic Council was established with the ambitious aim of responsible business development in the Arctic regions. The Chairmanship of the Arctic Economic Council provides a significant opportunity for Finnish industry to seek new market opportunities for our strong competence in working in cold and challenging environments. We look forward to supporting Finnish companies in realising this opportunity”, says Gaia’s Business Director Pekka Pokela.
The first major event of the Chairmanship of Finnish Business and Industry in the Arctic Economic Council is the Top of the World Arctic Broadband Summit, organised 14-15.6. in Oulu.
More information about the AEC and its resolution to endorse the intent of the Arctic Investment Protocol, originally developed by the World Economic Forum (WEF), is found in the press release from the Annual Meeting: AEC welcomes new Chair and endorses Intent Investment Protocol
More information
- The coordination office for the Finnish support group to the AEC: aec-finland@gaia.fi
- Pekka Pokela, Liiketoimintajohtaja, +358 40 544 1582, Gaia Consulting Oy, etunimi.sukunimi@gaia.fi
- Susanna Sepponen, Vanhempi asiantuntija, +358 40 138 0067, Gaia Consulting Oy, etunimi.sukunimi@gaia.fi
